MSNBC continues reminding folks where its priorities lie, allowing one editor to rail against Top Gun’s critical and commercial blockbuster sequel for being too patriotic and too pro-military. The latter point is particularly interesting given the network’s support of the Biden administration’s current foreign policy.
MSNBC opinion writer and editor Zeeshan Aleem published a column over the weekend claiming the film sent an “insidious” and “poisonous” message to theatergoers.
“‘Top Gun’ is as insidious as it is entertaining. It does not merely revive a forgotten human-centered spectacle; it also beckons for a return to accepting the American war machine as a beacon of virtue and excitement,” Aleem wrote. “It’s a poisonous kind of nostalgia, one that smuggles love of endless war into a celebration of live action.”
Aleem’s argument hinged on the idea that since the battle scenes were nearly flawless and perfectly executed, thus creating huge drama and excitement for audiences, it somehow also glorified war and brutality.
And, all of this assumes it was made to promote the military at all. Between woke indoctrination and the prospect of dying needlessly in the elites’ foreign wars, it seems safe to say no one is getting overly enthusiastic about enlisting just because they saw Tom Cruise zipping around in fighter jets.
The diatribe didn’t stop there, though, as Aleem went on to suggest that the film was “literal propaganda” since the military gave filmmakers access to real aircraft and provided oversight during production.
“In exchange for access to military aircraft, the producers of the movie agreed to allow the Defense Department to include its own ‘key talking points’ in the script. Perhaps equally important, the script had to be written in a manner that flatters the military in order to secure the buy-in of the Pentagon,” he wrote.
The MSBNC editor went on to say that the film was simply a stunt to “rehab” the military’s current image and prepare it for possible hostilities against other aggressive nations.
“I don’t object to anyone’s enjoyment of the film, but I hope it tanks at the Oscars,” Aleem concluded. “It’s possible to make thrilling action without so brazenly priming the public for warfare.”
It’s hard to figure out what Aleem actually wants to say, other than the fact he hates things that depict America in a positive light and that Hollywood produced a film without obnoxious woke elements. Aleem has previously written about his support of the Biden administration’s handling of efforts overseas, so the notion that he’s reticent to get involved in foreign entanglements is just bizarre.
There’s then the fact that he has a problem with pure entertainment existing. No doubt, what really rankled this keyboard warrior was the fact that a good movie was made and smashed records at the box office precisely because it strayed from the overused toxicity of woke propaganda seeking to race-swap characters and portray white males as useless idiots.
If making a pro-America movie for American audiences bothers this writer, perhaps the problem isn’t the film itself. Instead, it’s he who has the problem.
In addition to “Top Gun: Maverick,” the other 2023 Best Picture nominees are as follows: “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “The Fabelmans,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Elvis,” “Tár,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Women Talking.” The ceremony will take place on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
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